Jain Legend Vol 2

Author(s): Hastimal Maharaj, Shuganchand Jain, P S Surana
Publisher: Hastimal Maharaj Shugan C Jain P S Surana

Page 244

Rohagupta listened to the proclamation. He could not tolerate the vanity of the ascetic; so he went up to the herald and stopping him, declared, “I will participate in the debate on canonic knowledge with the ascetic”. Later he went to his teacher, after offering humble salutations he confessed to him, “O Lord! I accepted the challenge of Po as la ascetic to debate with him".
c rya r gupt said, “You haven't done a prudent thing accepting his challenge. The ascetic possesses supernatural powers. Even if he is vanquished in the debate, he will try his best to defeat you with those powers”.
Rohagupta humbly asked, “As I have already accepted the challenge, hence, please divulge some strategy to be triumphant."
Then c rya r gupta imparted the Siddham tra Vidy s and even gave his whiskbroom to him and said, “Despite these Vidy s if you face any problem, at once just whirl this whiskbroom. Then none can beat you”.
Rohagupta thus equipped with the new powers and the whiskbroom, went to the Royal Court and said, "O Ascetic! Please begin your argument."
The ascetic thought, “These rama as are very tactful. Therefore I will commence with their doctrines as the base of my argument". So thinking he said, “The world is classified into two groups - J vas and Aj vas" (Living beings & Non-living beings).
Rohagupta contradicting the statement said, “No, there are three groups, J va, Aj va and No-j va. J va means that which has life, Aj va means lifeless objects like pot, cloth, etc., and No-j va means that which possesses both the attributes of J va and Aj va, like the severed tail of a lizard.
Three types of substances are visible in the world. Even the stick has three parts, the beginning, the end and the middle. There are three universes namely upper, middle and lower. Hence it is improper to say that there are only two groups in the world."
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